On
Wednesday the 2011 Chevy Volt achieved an important milestone, with a
pre-production model rolling
off the assembly line in Hamtramck, Michigan.
Previously pre-production Volts have been built
by hand and tested.
Porting the process over onto the assembly line was a critical step
in preparing to commercially deploy the vehicle.

States GM's
Detroit-Hamtramck plant manager, Teri Quigley, "We have a very
experienced workforce at this plant and through all of their
preparation and training workers here have been given the privilege
to take GM into the future with this car."

The plant is
expected to continue to build pre-production models until late this
year, when it will jump to a production build in preparation for the
November 10 launch.

In other news, in order to meet its fuel
efficiency goals, according to Ward's
Auto the
government says it wants to buy
the first 100 Chevy Volts produced by GM. The
government has vowed to cut its fleet's fuel footprint by 30 percent
by 2020. The government also expressed interest in Chrysler's
upcoming plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) Dodge Ram. It,
however, has not yet expressed interest in the top-selling Ford
Fusion Hybrid.

GM has responded to the government's intent
to purchase the first 100 Volts. It released a statement
remarking:

We
are pleased to see that the Federal government is interested in the
greening of their vehicle fleet. Media speculation has led to reports
that the GSA and DOE will be buying the first 100 Chevrolet Volt's
because we will meet this criteria. At this time we have no further
details regarding these purchases.

The
Chevy Volt is the first electric vehicle to be mass produced in
America (Tesla Roadsters are manufactured overseas and in small
batches, while the mass produced 2011 Nissan Leaf will initially be
produced in Japan). It gets 40 miles on a charge, thanks to its
16 kWh battery. It can be charged from a 120-240VAC standard
residential outlet using the SAE's new standards compliant SAE-J1722
adapter. It can also extend its range to over 300 miles, by
employing a small built in 4-cylinder gas engine.

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ahh but if they are already claiming the child tax credit they dont get the hybrid car credit. Oh and then theres the fact that the plug in hybrid cars are no cleaner since you have a 50% chance of getting your power from a coal plant anyway. And if/when the EPA starts regulating coal plants your power bill will go up. And when your power bill goes up the price to recharge your pathetic plug in car will go up from 5 dollars to 15 dollars... A DAY. Multiply that by 100 and you get 1500 bucks a day that they are spending to drive vehicles that are no cleaner than your average Denali or Yukon which they could drive for less than 5 bucks a day. Well that is till the oil companies get regulated into 7 dollar a gallon gasoline. See socialism can be fun... for the people at the top at least.

OK, so we just sell hybrids to communities that receive their electricity from nuclear power plants... So the Government can decide who get what type of car. Increasing the level of fun you can have with socialism... It will not be long before you are waiting in line for 3 days for a pair of boots that do not even come close to fitting you and you will be happy you received a pair before the supply ran out. JOY!!

quote: OK, so we just sell hybrids to communities that receive their electricity from nuclear power plants... So the Government can decide who get what type of car. Increasing the level of fun you can have with socialism... It will not be long before you are waiting in line for 3 days for a pair of boots that do not even come close to fitting you and you will be happy you received a pair before the supply ran out. JOY!!

Ok, so we just go with the Republican route, where our corporate masters get to decide who gets what kind of car -- meaning, no cars for anyone.

Wage cuts all around -- people in China don't need a car, why do you lazy "entitlement" Americans think you need one!

Oh, be sure to wave to the CEO as he flys by in his new helicopter.

If the Republicans have their way, pretty soon everyone will be living in a grass hut riding a bike to work - "Hey, you lazy Americans have to compete with other 3rd world countries!" The Republicans are the ultimate enviro-nazis, they're just too busy having tea parties to realize it.

Yeah I love how suddenly everyone who isn't a radical leftist is a "right wing nut job extremist". Give me a break. Yeah it's so crazy and terrible that I hold the ideals and opinions that made this country great in the first place. Excuse the hell out of me...

quote: Oh and then theres the fact that the plug in hybrid cars are no cleaner since you have a 50% chance of getting your power from a coal plant anyway.

Given the current grid of the US, on average across the entire US, a Plug-in Car releases 30%+ less "real" emissions and 50%+ less C02 per mile than the best availible strong Hybrid, a Toyota Prius.

Even in the rare situation where your power is 100% Legacy Coal (West Virgina is 98%), an Electric Plug-In still emits less C02 per mile at the exchange of slight increase in some real pollutions such as Particle and NOx. However, the trade-off is that electric car is not shoving the pollution right now the throats of the people that live/walk/etc right next to the road.

In West Coast States, such as Washington, where Hydro and Nuclear make up large percentages of the power and Coal is small, the advantages become.... very significant.

quote: Multiply that by 100 and you get 1500 bucks a day that they are spending to drive vehicles that are no cleaner than your average Denali or Yukon which they could drive for less than 5 bucks a day.

5 bucks a day? Only if you drive less than 20 miles!

BTW 5 dollars of electricity at the National Average Retail Home Rate (~11 cents) is enough to push the average electric car over 150 miles. Good luck though on trying to prove that somehow a Denali is cheaper to operate per mile than any electric car.